PROS

MODEL HIGHLIGHTS

The Giulia comes in three basic flavors: the base Giulia, the upscale Giulia Ti and the high-performance Giulia Quadrifoglio. At the heart of the Giulia and Giulia Ti is a high-pressure 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine making 280 horsepower and 306 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. Should buyers specify the Giulia and the Giulia Ti can be equipped with all-wheel drive, a $2,000 option. Either way, the Giulia can hit 60 mph comfortably in under six seconds.

The Quadrifoglio variant, of course, is on another level. Alfa Romeo claims that the Giulia Quadrifoglio is the most powerful production car they've ever built, offering a staggering 505 horsepower from a 2.9L V6 thanks to twin turbochargers. All that power is sent to the rear wheels to make 60 mph come in only 3.9 seconds.

Regardless of which Giulia buyers choose, equipment and options are similar to competitors in this price range, which is to say very nice, with plenty of available options to make the cars even nicer. Base Giulia models come with 17-inch wheels, bi-xenon headlamps, LED daytime running lamps, a 6.5-inch screen for in car entertainment and the backup camera, rear parking sensors, keyless entry and keyless go, leather seating, dual-zone climate control, USB and Bluetooth integration, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, rear seat ventilation and an integrated garage door opener.

The Giulia Ti isn't much more expensive than the base Giulia, but it gets bigger 18-inch wheels, a bigger 8.8-inch color screen, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, along with a nicer interior, featuring dark grey oak interior accents.

The Quadrifoglio has 19-inch aluminum wheels and unique exterior aero bits along with lots of tricks to make it go faster and handle better. Among these tricks are an active torque vectoring rear differential and active suspension, which lets drivers determine the driving mode with the touch of a button. Combined, these two features give the Giulia truly sports car like handling, making it the kind of no compromise vehicle that people could've only dreamed of a few years ago.

Option packages on the Giulia include a driver assistance package, a sport appearance package and a navigation package, which also adds SiriusXM satellite radio. Standalone options include a wide variety of wheels and a big dual-pane sunroof.

MODEL NEWS

The Alfa Romeo Giulia returns for 2019 with several new option packages along with one or two new standard features as well. The Giulia Ti Sport now comes with 19-inch wheels as standard while the Giulia Quadrifoglio now has anodized brake calipers and a 40/20/40 split folding rear seat. New option packages include a Nero Edizione with a blacked-out grill headlamp bezels and exhaust tips, while a carbon fiber package includes extra carbon goodies throughout the exterior.

VALUE WRITEUP

The Giulia starts at just over $38,000 and should compete with other entry level luxury sedans and sport sedans such as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the BMW 3-Series and the Audi A4. The high-performance Quadrifoglio version of the Giulia likewise does battle with the BMW M3 and the Mercedes AMG C63 and is priced accordingly, starting around $73,000. The Giulia has several advantages over its rivals. The Giulia's styling is more emotional and raw than anything seen from the relatively staid German competition. Alfa Romeo, via its corporate connections, also has access to Ferrari and their knowledge of how to build exceptional performance cars.